Awards Season continues: BAFTA announce nominations

The awards season is in full swing and with the Golden Globes out of the way, the nominations for the Orange British Academy Film Awards 2012 have been announced. The Artist is in the lead … of course.

Leading the pack is the hot favourite for Best Film: The Artist. The French masterpiece received 12 nominations in total, which include: Best Film, Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing and Leading Actor and Actress acknowledgements for Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo.

The film is up against: The Descendants, Drive, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Help for Best Film.

Meanwhile Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is nominated in 11 categories, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo has nine, and British effort My Week with Marilyn boasts six nominations. The Help and War Horse scored a total of five acknowledgements apiece, while the Harry Potter crew will be pleased with their four nominations for Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2.

The nominees in the acting categories are a fairly predictable bunch. Dujardin is up against George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender and Gary Oldman for the Lead Actor accolade. And My Week with Marilyn‘s Michelle Williams is up for the Lead Actress title, with competition from Bejo, Meryl Streep, Viola Davis and Tilda Swinton.

The nominees for the Orange Wednesdays Rising Star Award, were announced earlier this month too, with an eyebrow-raising lack of actresses to vote for. This year our choice is between: Adam Deacon, Chris Hemsworth, Chris O’Dowd, Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston.

On a plus note, the ceremony will be hosted by national treasure Stephen Fry instead of usual pick, Jonathan Ross. The ceremony will take place at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, Sunday 12th February 2012.